The Many Faces of Tudor England: Diversity Aboard the Mary Rose
February 18, 2020
Sometime in the late afternoon of 19 July 1545, the Mary Rose, one of Henry VIII’s largest ships, sank in the Solent. As the king watched from his encampment, he could not have realised that this catastrophe would provide future generations with an unparalleled insight into his life and times.
The ill-fated ship represents both a living community and a state-of-the-art fighting machine, fully manned and equipped for war. To date, no marine excavation has attained the scale of the Mary Rose project, nor captured the imagination of the public so completely. Tragically lost, miraculously preserved, painstakingly excavated and meticulously conserved, its historical treasures provide a unique and vivid impression of life at sea in the 1500s.
In this free talk, Dr Alex Hildred (Mary Rose Trust) will challenge long-held perceptions regarding diversity in Tudor England. The remains of 185 soldiers, 200 mariners, 30 gunners, officers and their servants were found aboard the Mary Rose, along with 19,000 artefacts. Drawing on scientific, genetic and genealogical work, she will reveal the origins of this fascinating group of Tudor individuals.
Seminars start at 5.15pm in Wolfson NB01, Senate House, London, WC1 7HU.
All are welcome and there is no need to book.
Find out more about our Maritime History and Culture Seminars
Lucy Dale | Royal Museums Greenwich